Prophecies and Destinies
by NordicaVB
Summary: [AU] A Space Odyssey.
1. Introductions and Whatnot

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with the manga/anime.

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Chapter One: Introductions and Whatnot

Kagome hurried down the bright street, huddled next to her dearest friend. Well, in all truth, her only friend. She was not at liberty to have things such as friends, being who and what she was. She was Higurashi Kagome, a miko. Well, that's not exactly what made her so special. Actually, Kagome had no idea what made her so special. All she knew was that at a young age she had saved her younger brother using unknown spiritual powers. Within a week she was taken from her family and brought to Kaede for 'special training.' At first Kagome was devastated by the prospect of leaving her family; however, Kaede had been understanding and decided to live with Kagome and her family during the early stages of her training. So until the age of eighteen, Kagome had lived a somewhat normal childhood. Well, other than the fact that she was not allow to attend any type of school or even interact with people outside of her family and trainers. On her eighteenth birthday Kagome found out exactly why she wasn't allowed to interact with other people.

Flashback

"_No, I won't do it. I don't care what you say; I can't…it goes against everything I believe."_

"_I am sorry child, you have no choice. And besides, Houjou is not that bad."_

"_But Kaede."_

"_It is out of my hands. But do not worry; you have two more years of training. You will have an opportunity to meet Houjou during these final years of your training. I am sure you will grow to love him in time. He is a rather nice man. You will be taken care of and treated like a queen. The union will insure peace between the two federations."_

"_But what of love? I always dreamed of marrying for love."_

"_I know. But did you not wonder why you were never allowed to interact with others? _

"_I know Kaede. I had to be kept pure, as pure as possible. But why?"_

"_It was written so, so shall it be. You were fated to be betrothed to Houjou."_

"_What was written?"_

"_An old prophecy of some sort. It has been interpreted as such; you are the miko written about and Houjou is the man mentioned to be your husband."_

"_What if their interpretations are wrong? What if I end up married to the wrong man?"_

"_I am not at liberty to doubt the interpretation. Very few have had the opportunity to actually read the prophecy; however, those who have all agree that this is what shall come to pass: You shall remain pure until your twentieth birthday. You are to remain untouched and to some degrees unseen by men until you have completed your training. And your union with a great and noble man shall bring the two factions together. You can see how they came to the conclusion that they have?"_

"_Only if you interpret the 'two factions' as the two federations."_

"_I agree. But there is no fighting what has been declared by our federation. You must marry Houjou. I am sorry but there is no way out."_

"_Alright Kaede. But, Kaede?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_What if it is not my destiny to marry this Houjou?"_

"_Then I am sure the heavens will intervene."_

End

"MK? Are you listening MK?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Sango. I was just lost in thought. Uh, why do you have to call me MK?" Kagome's voice was barely audible as she turned towards the older girl.

"You know I cannot call you by your real name in public. Its bad enough I let you talk me into taking you to the forest. Kaede is going to fire me for sure if she finds out."

"Aw, she can't fire you. You have to escort me to my new prison, remember?" Kagome forced a light laugh before letting a slight frown cross her face. "Besides, it meant a lot to me. I've heard that they do not have many forests left on his planet. I'll miss it so much. The trees, animals, clean air." A tear slide down a pale cheek. "What if his entire planet is like this city? You can't even see the stars. The lights are so bright it might as well be day." Kagome sigh as she turned towards her friend. "So please, do not regret fulfilling my last wish. It's a memory I will always hold dear to me."

"Oh Kagome. Please do not be so melancholy. It does not suite you well." Sango wrapped her arms around Kagome's shoulders and squeezed. "Come. We need to meet up with Kaede as soon as possible. We have a lot of packing to do before tomorrow."

"Yes Master." Kagome giggled at the expression that crossed Sango's face.

"Oh, come on. I'll race you back."

"Only if I get a head start."

"Why?"

"Well, it's only fair isn't it? Me, a poor ordinary girl against a great demon exterminator and expert bodyguard."

"You an ordinary girl? Ha!"

Kagome and Sango ran down the busy street, weaving in and out of the crowd as the headed towards Kaede's home.

* * *

"Hmm…so, do you stay docked at the station during the night?" The young girl giggled as she fluttered her eyelashes at the handsome man standing before her.

"Well, that depends." The man leaned forward, pinning the girl between his two arms.

"Depends on what?" The girl raised a hand the young man's head and twirled his small dark ponytail around her finger.

"Well…would you prefer to stay here or play amongst the stars?" The man's head dipped to capture his prey. His hand slowly descended down to her backside as he devoured her mouth.

"Damn it!"

The two soon-to-be lovers jumped apart as the door opened to reveal an extremely irate hanyou.

"D-d-demon?" The girl blanched as she caught sight two amber eyes and two silvery-white dog ears. "Y-y-you live w-w-with a d-d-demon?"

"Damn it Miroku, you know damn well that I do not allow wenches on my ship. Now get that bitch off of my ship!"

"Don't bother, I'm leaving." The young woman gained her composure as she allowed disgust to overtake her fear. "If I had known this was the ship of a demon, I would never have come aboard." She gathered her belongings and raced out of the room before her fear could weaken her composure once more.

"Damn it Inuyasha. I was this close to getting laid."

"I don't give a fuck. You know the rules. If you want to get laid, do it off of my ship!" Inuyasha turned to leave.

"Well…I guess that wouldn't matter to one who has no interest in the opposite sex." Miroku muttered to himself, forgetting the hanyou and his sensitive ears had yet to leave the room. Before he could blink, Miroku found himself suspended above the ground.

"Just because I do not succumb to pitiful human weaknesses, does not mean that I am not attracted to the opposite sex." Red flashed over gold as Inuyasha squeezed a little tighter. "Now, if you dare to question my sexuality again…I'll make sure that you are no longer able to partake in such weaknesses." Inuyasha released his grip and turned to leave. "We will be leaving as soon as the runt finishes loading the supplies."

"W-w-where are w-w-we going now?" Miroku rubbed his throat has he forced the words from his mouth.

"Where else? We still need to find our 'navigator.'" Inuyasha reached the door.

"Do you really think we will be able to get a miko to help us? I mean, aren't they usually enemies of demons?"

"Keh, we'll find one. Even if we have to make them help us."

"I don't think it works that way Inuyasha. From my experience, a miko has to be willing for her powers to work. You will not be able to force one to help you. By the way, what did the elderly miko say?"

"She does not have enough power to help us."

Flashback

"_What do you seek that you would need the help of a miko?"_

"_I seek the Jewel of Four Souls."_

"_Why do you seek a fairy tale?"_

"_Don't give me that bullshit. I know it exists. I-I've seen it."_

"_Tsk, fantasies. The Jewel no longer exists."_

"_It no longer exists as a single jewel. I know that it was broken and spread across the universe by a group of mikos and priests. I need a miko to guide me to the pieces."_

"_Why do you seek the Jewel? If what you say is true then you should understand that the Jewel was broken for a reason."_

"_Listen, I am not the only one that seeks the Jewel. I've seen things that should not exist. I-I have to get to it before it does."_

_The old miko cautiously studied the young hanyou. 'Could he be the one foretold by the prophecy?' "Tell me, how do you know all this?"_

_Inuyasha growled. "I just do."_

_The miko's eyebrow arched. "How?"_

"_Let's just say…someone told me about it."_

"_Who?"_

"_Damn it old woman, will you help me or not?"_

"_I am sorry child; I do not have the power to do what you need. I am old and my power is waning. You will need to seek a different miko."_

"_Keh, easier said than done. To tell you the truth, you are the first miko who actually allowed me to ask my question." Inuyasha sighed. "Do you know of such a miko, one that would be willing to help a hanyou?"_

"_I am sorry; I cannot help you. But I will pray for you. That is all I can do for you."_

End

"And the other?"

"There was no other miko."

"Hmm, I could have sworn I sensed a younger miko."

"Well, she wasn't there. And the old woman was getting ready to leave so we are leaving. We'll look on another planet."

"Which one?"

"Who cares?" Inuyasha left Miroku's room. "Oh, pull another stunt like that again and you will be getting acquainted with my claws."

Miroku sighed as he pulled himself off of the floor. _'When will he give up this futile mission? We've been searching for a willing miko for two years now, ever since he had his 'vision.' I really wish he would lighten up about this whole mission. It's unhealthy to obsess over something like this.'_ Miroku straightened his bed sheets before heading towards the ship's kitchen. _'Especially when there are other things one can obsess about. Sigh. She was cute too.'_

* * *

"Ha, I beat you without a head start!"

"Who are you kidding? I let you win!"

"Sure you did Sango. Kaede, we're home. Kaede?" Kagome walked through the front doors. "Kaede, where are you?" Kagome gasp as she glanced around the room. Everything was destroyed. Torn photos, books, and paper littered the floor. The furniture had been broken and thrown across the room. "Oh no, Kaede!"

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango stepped through the door. "Oh my, what the hell happened here?" Sango grabbed Kagome and pulled her behind her back. "Stay behind me. Do you sense anything?"

"No, nothing…not even Kaede."

"Do you think she is here?"

"Yes. Let's go look." Kagome headed into the house behind Sango, wading through the aftermath of destruction. 'Well, it looks like it will be easy to pack now. By the heavens please let Kaede be alright.'

"K'gome."

"Did you hear that?" Sango turned to Kagome.

"Aye, I think it came from the office." The two women headed towards the office. Upon entering the room both gasped. "S-S-Sango?" Tears began to run down Kagome's cheek. "Kaede!" Kagome ran to the elderly woman lying on the floor. "Kaede, what happened?"

"Ugh, child. I am sorry, they have found you."

"Kaede, please be quiet, you need to rest so you can heal. Sango, call a medical unit."

"N-n-no. Please, listen. It's t-t-oo late for me."

Kagome brushed Kaede's hair out of her face. "Please Grandmother, do not say that."

"Listen to me. Y-you need to find…hanyou…Inu…space…port…prophecy"

"Is he the one that did this to you?" Sango knelt next to Kagome.

"No. Onigumo. Please…find…Inu…Yasha… destiny." Kaede gasped as her eyes rolled back.

"No, Kaede, Grandmother, please do not leave me."

"Kagome, we need to get out of here. Whoever did this might come back any minute."

"Where will we go?" Kagome looked up at Sango, tears pouring down her face.

Sango shook her head. "I guess we find this hanyou."

"How?" Kagome tried to stop her tears by wiping her eyes.

"I assume we head towards the space port." Sango stood up. _'I hate to leave her unburied, but it is best that they assume Kagome has been kidnapped by Kaede's killers.'_ "Come, we need to pack some essentials and leave."

"What about…"

"She will be found and given a proper burial. As right now, it is best that no one knows we have been here."

"Aye." Kagome stroked Kaede's face one last time before standing up. "I'll be packed in five minutes." Kagome quickly made it to her room where she began throwing things in a small pack. She took a few changes of clothes, some personal items, and an album that had been hidden under her floorboards." _'At least they weren't able to find you. Hmm, they made packing easy, hardly anything was left undamaged.'_ Kagome stood up, slinging her light pack over her shoulders. "Oh Kaede, I'm so sorry." Kagome's glistening eyes threaten to dampen her cheeks once more.

"Are you ready MK? We need to leave now." Sango grabbed Kagome's shoulder. "You'll need to wear a cloak to hide your face."

Kagome nodded as she reached the secret closet. She pushed lightly against the wall, causing a panel to pop open. "I'll take the enchanted cloak; it will hide my aura as well." _'Well, hide it from evil spiritualities.'_ "Do we need anything else?"

"I'll just grab my supplies." Sango gathered her exterminator outfit and tools. While Kagome was packing a few books, Sango slipped her communicator into her pack. _'I won't activate it until we absolutely have to. I don't know if I want the location swarmed with exterminators yet.'_ Sango sighed. "Okay, let's go."

Kagome nodded as she followed the older girl out into the street. She clasped the front of her cloak shut. _'At least it's cold so I won't look too conspicuous.'_

The two girls hurried down the streets towards the spaceships. It was a long walk, but the feared using any type of transportation. Sango insisted that they do not leave a trail that could later be retraced.

"Um, Sango?"

"Yes?"

"How will we find this hanyou?"

"Well, if he is at the docks, he must have a ship. We will look for it." Sango paused for a second. "Will you be able to sense his aura? I mean, hanyous are rare."

"Yes, I suppose I should be able to do that. I'll have to be close to him though; I do not think it would be wise to stretch out my aura."

"Right, we'll just walk through the loading area. If anyone asks, we are looking for our husbands' ship."

Both girls made their way through a crowd of people. The port was crowded with crew members, merchants, and visitors. Kagome tightened her grip on her cloak, trying to avoid bumping into anyone as she weaved behind Sango. They had passed half the ships when Kagome paused to look at a crimson ship to her right. _'Strange, I swear that ship had an aura.'_

"MK, what is it?"

"I don't know. That ship is or was giving off a strange aura. I think…I think it was calling to me."

Sango studied the ship. It is small compared to federation ships, but it isn't tiny. The shape of the ship suggests that it was designed for speed. Sango studied the craftsmanship of the vessel. "Kagome, I think this is a demon spaceship."

"Do you think this is where we will find the hanyou?"

"You better not let Inuyasha hear you call him that." A small voice drifted from behind a rather large box.

"Uh, excuse us?"

A small boy-like creature jumped to the top of the box. "I said that it would be wise not to say such things where Inuyasha is able to hear you."

"It's a youkai kitsune." Sango studied the small demon.

"Well, that was rude of you. I do have a name you know. And they say demons are uncivil."

"Please, we never meant to offend you. It's just; we don't see many demons on our planet." Kagome smiled at the young child. "What is your name, please?"

The kitsune puffed out his chest, "I'm Shippou."

"How do you know Inuyasha?"

"Oh, well this is his ship. I am his mechanic, among other things. Actually, he treats me like his personal slave. Well, he just makes me do all the annoying little jobs. Why do you want to know about him?"

"We were told that we needed to find him."

"I wonder who would tell you that." Shippou sat back on his haunches. "I mean, we were only here for a day and now we are leaving. Well, as soon as I get this box of kitchen supplies on the ship."

"Oh please, we must speak with him before he leaves."

"I'm sorry. Inuyasha is not in the best of moods, he will see no one. Once he is determined to move on, he'll stop for no one."

Sango shook her head. "I should have known. Kaede was foolish to send us after a hanyou."

"Hey, now that was not nice. He may be a jerk sometimes but he does deserve some respect." _'Just not from me.'_ Shippou smiled at his private joke.

Kagome stepped towards the young kitsune. "Please, it is a matter of life or death."

"Whose life?" Shippou cocked his head to the side.

"Mine." Kagome turned her head towards the ground. "Someone killed my grandmother. Before she…she died she told use to seek out Inuyasha."

"Well, he won't let you on the ship. And I know he won't come out just to meet you." Shippou studied the young women. He felt bad for the younger one. He knew what it was like to lose one's family. "I know! What if I sneak you on board? Once we are in space, I'll let you out and then you can talk to Inuyasha."

Sango and Kagome looked at each other. They knew, for whatever reason that they needed to speak with this Inuyasha character and it wouldn't hurt to get off of the planet for a little while.

"Do you think it is wise Sango?"

"I don't think we have an option MK. Maybe after we talk to him, he will take us to Houjou's."

Kagome frowned at Sango's suggestion.

"I'm sorry MK, but I still have a job to do. And besides, he will be able to protect you far better than I can."

Kagome began to retort her when Shippou interrupted. "I'm sorry but if you agree you will need to get in this crate now. I am already late and Inuyasha will be angry enough. We do not wish to make him even angrier." Shippou lifted the lid off of the crate. "Look at the bright side, there's enough spices in there that he won't be able to smell you before we break orbit."

"Uh, Shippou what do you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing. I'll get you as soon as it is safe." _'If Inuyasha finds you before we get to space, he'll kick you off of his ship with just a parachute.'_ Shippou watched as the crate was lifted into ship before he began to chuckle. _'Man, this is going to be one exciting trip.'_


	2. Interpretation and Misguidance

AN: This has not been fully edit, please excuse any mistakes. Been playing with this for a little while and will continue as ideas come to me.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with the manga/anime.

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Chapter Two: Interpretation & Misguidance

What are fate, destiny, and prophecy? Fate is the power that predetermines events, the inevitable. Destiny is what one is fated to attain. But what is a prophecy? Does it have any weight on one's destiny; is it influenced by fate? In reality, it's quite simple. Prophecy is the creation of mere mortals who proclaim to see fate's design and foretell the destiny of mortals. There is no denying that occasionally prophecies do 'hit the nail on the head.' However, occasionally more than one prophecy claims to know the true destiny of an individual. When two prophecies contradict one another, who decides which prophecy is true? Can we trust those who interpret these prophecies? Could a single misinterpretation lead to an unfulfilled prophecy? Or lead to a disruption in one's destiny? That is where faith comes to play. When mortal error interferes with one's chosen path, we must have faith that something will intervene on our behalf, for the sake of our own destiny.

"Sango? Sango, can you see anything?" whispered Kagome.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Inuyasha has excellent hearing. Best not speak until after I have come to get you." Shippou's voice came from outside the box. "Oh, and I wouldn't try putting up a shield either. Inuyasha can sense those as well. Don't worry, it won't be too long."

'_How in the world did he know I could do that? Is my cloak broken?'_ Kagome strained to look at Sango. She assumed Sango shrugged at her silent question. _'I wish I could talk to Sango. We would be able to figure something out before seeing this Inuyasha character. Inu-yahsa – hmm – interesting name. I wonder if that is his real name, or some kind of nickname. Sigh, guess I'll have to wait and see. I just hope we aren't stuck in here too long.'_ Kagome shifted so she could stretch her legs slightly. _'Oh Kaede, I wish you were here. What will I do now?'_ Kagome held back a sob as she blinked back her tears.

"Oh, before I go. Try not to cry. Inuyasha will definitely find you too early if you cry. He hates the smell. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you soon "

Kagome listened to Shippou's receding footsteps. _'Now what? _

* * *

"Oi runt, what the hell took you so long?" Inuyasha clenched his fist as he eyed the small boy.

"I had some trouble loading the kitchen supplies aboard. The crate was heavier than I had anticipated."_ 'Which is the truth, technically, so I ain't lying.'_ Shippou smirked at the irate hanyou.

Inuyasha glared at the kitsune. "You're hiding something runt. Now, tell me what it is!"

"Leave the boy alone, I thought you wanted to leave as soon as possible." Miroku spoke as he walked to his seat.

"Damn it, I did. I do. But I want to know what the brat is hiding!" Inuyasha growled as he fixed a scowl on Shippou.

"He already told you. Now let us be on our way" Miroku turned as a slight smirk played across his face. _'I know what Shippou is hiding. Two gorgeous women trapped on our ship. I am truly blessed, that I am.'_

"Fine, let's just go. I'm tried of this." Inuyasha unceremoniously plopped down behind the ship's center control console. "Just get us the fuck out of here, now!"

"Aye, aye captain sir." Shippou saluted Inuyasha before turning back to his control panel, suppressing a snicker.

"And knock that shit off. I told you before I don't like it when you do that."

After initiating take off, Shippou turned towards Inuyasha. "But El Capitán you are our lea-der, are you not? And we are your crew, are we not? We should use the appropriate language, should we not?"

"Damn it! Now I know you are hiding something. You're just like all other Kitsune; you get extra playful when you've played some trick. Now, tell me what the fuck you did."

Sigh. "Okay, I'll make a deal with you." Shippou's lips curled into a smirk. "Once I finish getting us out of here I'll _show_ you exactly what I am _hiding_."

"You little piece of …"

"Inuyasha, do you think you can give it a rest now?" Miroku stood up, turning towards the irate hanyou. "We do not need a demonstration of your colorful vocabulary right now. I am more interested in finding out what the surprise is, what about you?"

"Fine! Shippou set the autopilot for the nearest colony and show us exactly what you have been hiding." Inuyasha waved his hand as he stood to leave his chair.

Checking to make sure they had cleared the planet's atmosphere, Shippou got up from his seat and began skipping towards the kitchen.

"Oi runt, where are you going?"

"To get my surprises." Shippou hummed as he continued down the corridor.

"Surprises?" Inuyasha turned towards Miroku, who shrugged his shoulders at the comment. "What the fuck is going on here? And why do I get the feeling you know something about it already?"

"Now my dear friend, why would you say something like that? I have not given you any reason to think that I have deceived you along with our little friend."

"Haven't given me a reason, huh. How about that shit eating grin you're trying so hard to suppress right now."

"I have no idea what you are speaking of. I am just amused at the antics of our young companion. He certainly enjoys his little tricks."

"Yeah, well knock it off. So, should we follow him or what?"

"Perhaps it would be best if we waited for the 'surprises' to be brought to us." Miroku turned his chair towards the door. _'It will give Shippou the chance to prepare our new guests for Inuyasha and his temper.'_

* * *

Drip

Drip

Kagome stretched, _'Where am I?'_ Standing up, Kagome took in her surroundings. Taking a step forward, she noticed ripples. _'Water! There's water everywhere. What is this place?' _Kneeling down, she noticed small blinking lights in the water_. 'What are they? They look like stars, twinkling in…oh, it's not water; I'm standing in space.'_

Drip

Standing, Kagome watched as a small ripple formed around her. _'This is an odd place.'_ A light flashed in the silvery sky before descending towards the ground. After hitting directly in front of her, it shot forward several feet before breaking into two separate paths. A flash of white light from the horizon engulfed Kagome, followed by darkness.

"_Two paths; one is false the other…truth. Misguidance can and has led you down the wrong path."_

Kagome watched as a path to her left became illuminated. She could make out a figure at the end of the path with short dark hair. Squinting, Kagome realized that the figure was a man, waving at her.

"_An easy path to take; one in which you will achieve contentment but not happiness. You will fulfill what has been predicted by men; however, you will not fulfill your destiny."_

Kagome opened her mouth, only to find her voice missing.

"_To choose the right path will mean undergoing many hardships. The reward…"_

Kagome watched as the path on her right illuminated once again, this time revealing a second figure.

'_Who is that?'_ Kagome could only make out a tall slender figure, looking straight at her.

"…_will be a life… one of the greatest…"_

"MK? Sango?"

Kagome turned her head to the side. _'Not now, I need to know more!'_ Turning back towards the paths Kagome noticed the lights begin to fade. _'Wait, I need to know what to do. Who will lead me to the right path?'_

TAP, TAP

Kagome twisted. _'Wait!'_ Kagome's mind shouted as she stretched towards the path on her right just as a brilliant golden light flashed. As Kagome shielded her eyes, she was engulfed in complete darkness.

TAP, TAP. "Hey, MK? Sango, are you guys awake?" Shippou lifted the top of the crate, allowing light to pour in. "Oi, are you awake in there?

Kagome flinched as the darkness shattered.

"Is it safe to come out now?" Sango stretched before standing up.

"Well, that all depends on how you look at it." Shippou hopped back, allowing the two girls to emerge from the box. "You don't have to worry about being tossed off the ship…yet. But you do have to face an angry Inuyasha. But don't worry; he's all bark and no bite. Well, hardly any bite." Shippou turned in time to shove his fist into his mouth, keeping his outburst to himself.

"Well Ka…MK are you ready to face this Inuyasha character?"

Turning towards Sango, Kagome gave her a small smile. "As ready as I can be, I guess."

"Let's go. The sooner we talk to him, the sooner we can get you to Houjou."

Kagome's smile completely vanished as she watched as Shippou helped Sango out of the box.

'_It was Houjou at the end of the wrong path. A life of contentment only…can I really live with that? Maybe I'm just looking for a way to avoid marrying Houjou. Maybe he was on the right path. No, Houjou was definitely on the left. But who could have been on the right?' _

"MK!"

Kagome jumped. Looking up, Kagome noticed Sango frowning at her.

"What is it Sango?"

"I've been calling your name for several minutes." Sango's slight anger melted into genuine concern. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. Just thinking, sorry about that; I didn't mean to cause you to worry." Kagome smiled at her friend.

"It's alright. You've been through quite a lot lately. Come; let us find out exactly who this Inuyasha character is."

"It's about time! I'm just dying to introduce you to him." Shippou bounced around the two women. "Let's go, follow me."

Kagome and Sango watched as the young kitsune skipped down the hall.

"Well, should we follow him?" Sango asked.

"It would be rude of us not to." Kagome giggled as she followed the lighthearted child, forgetting her troubling vision.


End file.
